Bessemer woman dies while walking interstate

A Bessemer City woman was killed early Friday morning when she was hit by a tractor-trailer as she walked on Interstate 40 near the McDowell-Burke county line.

Mike Conley | The McDowell News

A Bessemer City woman was killed early Friday morning when she was hit by a tractor-trailer as she walked on Interstate 40 near the McDowell-Burke county line.

Angela Elise Bodford, 27, of Bessemer City was walking in a lane meant for traffic on the western North Carolina stretch of interstate Friday, according to a report by Sgt. D.K. Owens of the N.C. Highway Patrol.

Investigators say Bodford was driving while impaired when her 1990 Isuzu broke down. She got out and walked in the eastbound lane of the interstate. A tractor-trailer struck her around 12:30 a.m. The truck did not hit her vehicle.

Sgt. J.A. Williams said although Bodford was from Bessemer City, she had been staying in Marion. She was alone when she was killed. Her boyfriend later arrived on the scene and helped identify her body.

Williams said the driver of the tractor-trailer is from McDowell County.

The eastbound lanes of I-40 were closed until around 3:30 a.m. as authorities investigated the fatal incident.